Rescuing Dragons
by Icy Amour
Summary: Sequel to 'Dragon Fire! Alfred & a very pregnant Matthew have been kidnapped. Now Arthur & Gilbert must set out to rescue their dragon lovers from their mysterious kidnappers. But what happens when Arthur is an old friend of one of the villains? Meanwhile, what is Alfred to do when Matthew goes into labor? There will be epic battles, humor, and NORDICS!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello dearests! I'm back with the much anticipated sequel to 'Dragon Fire'! I know y'all are on pins and needles over this one. So Al and Matt (who is VERY pregnant) have gone missing which means a rather pissed off knight and homicidal wizard are about to open a can of whoopass on the moron dumb enough to take their boys. But what happens when Art knows one of the kidnappers? Strap in kiddies we're going for a ride!**

**I own just the plot bunny.**

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><p>Alfred lay sunning comfortably in the clearing outside the cave he shared with his family. He reveled in the feeling of the light warming the azure and gold scales that covered his massive frame. His leathery wings were spread wide to soak up the rays of light as well. A gentle breeze caressed him and made the forest sing its natural lullabye. A contented hum rumbled up from his chest as he stretched his body to settle in a new position for taking a nap. At that moment all was perfect in the world.<p>

"Allffrreedd…"

The sapphire dragon's entire body cringed at the whiney tone that called out his name and shattered his tranquility. He had never hated the sound of his own name so much.

With a tired sigh the reptile lifted his large head and cracked open one azure eye to look at his companion.

"What is it Matt?" The large lizard asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

The amethyst and gold scaled dragon laying beside him bristled with indignation.

"Don't take that tone with me, you asshole," Matthew groused and glowered at his brother.

"This is the third time you've woken me from my nap. I'm allowed to be a little cranky," the wheat fringed beast said rolling his eyes in exasperation unfazed by the violet eyes boring into him.

"Well excuse me for thinking that my brother would be more sympathetic to the fact that I'm pregnant and extremely uncomfortable," the periwinkle lizard said with a pathetic huff and settled his features into a pout. His massive form shifted slightly in a futile attempt at finding a more comfortable position for his swollen abdomen and aching frame.

"There was no way I was this whiney when I was pregnant," Alfred muttered with another roll of his eyes as he stretched. He knew that there was no way he would be allowed to return to his nap with Matthew so upset.

"I heard that," the purple reptile hissed. "And no. You were much, much worse,"

The blue dragon shot his companion a scathing look.

"Funny, bro," the azure beast retorted sarcastically as he pressed up onto his feet and nudged his siblings snout with his own.

"Come on. Get up and I'll help you find a way to relax,"

Matthew eyed his brother wearily. He had just managed to find a pseudo-comfortable position and didn't feel like getting up. The sympathetic look that his brother gave him, however, showed that he really had no mischievous intent. He just honestly was trying to help. Sighing tiredly the slighter dragon rose to his aching feet.

"Where are we going?"

"To the river. I use to sit in it in my human form. The water makes you kind of weightless," the blue dragon explained unable to suppress the grin that sprang to his face at seeing his brother perk up at the word weightless.

"That sounds amazing, Al," the pregnant dragon said wistfully.

"Thought you'd like that," the darker fringed lizard said with a fond smile as he led the way to the river.

The purple reptile awkwardly waddled along beside his brother as they made their way the short distance through the woods to the river.

"When did Gil and Arthur say they would be back?" Matthew queried. He had still been asleep when the two humans had set out with Penny to procure some provisions for their little family early that morning.

"Shortly after midday," Alfred responded with a chuckle. "That is if Franny hasn't managed to piss Artie off too much,"

The violet eyed lizard couldn't help the small sigh of defeat that escaped him. Shortly after Gilbert had come to live with Matthew the albino knight's friends, Antonio and Francis, had followed suit settling in North Ameland. As soon as the blonde wizard had been introduced to the newly relocated blonde knight they had taken an instant disliking to each other and their squabbles tended to end rather violently.

"Well hopefully Gil will manage to keep them from killing each other. Especially since they have Penny with them," the amethyst reptile said not believing his own words as the sound of rippling water soon greeted the pair.

Matthew couldn't help the hopeful smile that spread across his face. At that moment he'd have walked across a bed of nails if it would bring him any relief from the discomfort his body was in.

The dragon siblings quickly moved toward a small pool that had formed near the river bank and looked into the clear depths.

"Let's see how cold it is before we jump in," Alfred suggested as he dipped a claw into the swirling waters only to instantly jerk it back out as if he had been burnt. "Shit! It's fucking freezing,"

The periwinkle reptile couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at his brother's reaction which earned him an irritated glare.

"You know being dragons we have an easy fix for the cold issue," the light gold fringed lizard said as heat built up in his throat and flames burst from his maw. As soon as the flames met the cool waters steam formed and rose up into the sky.

Matthew cut off his flame and dipped a claw into the heated water.

"Much better," the violet eyed dragon sighed as he withdrew his limb and swirling fire engulfed his massive form. Moments later a pale, blonde man stood where the beast had been.

Eager to find relief from his aches and pains the lemon blonde swiftly as possible moved into the pool of water. A rapturous sigh escaped his pink lips as he sank into the shallow depths. Once he was settled into the glorious, buoyancy inducing liquid he turned purple eyes on the cerulean dragon.

"Are you coming?"

Fire swirled around Alfred just as it had his brother and soon the blue dragon was replaced with a tanned, wheat blonde man. The slightly larger man quickly moved into the pool to settle next to his brother.

"Didn't I tell you this would feel great?" the blue eyed man asked while an appreciative sigh escaped his lips and he reclined against the bank.

Matthew simply hummed in response as he let his body relax into the warm liquid surrounding him. This was the first time in the last few months that he had felt this comfortable. The water made his tense muscles turn to goo, the sun warmed his face, and made him a little drowsy. The complete silence of the forest…

Wait! The forest was never silent. Every fiber of the periwinkle eyed man's body instantly tensed at the eerie quiet that hung in the air.

"Al?" the pale blonde whispered tensely as his eyes drifted toward his brother.

"Yeah, I noticed it too," the straw blonde said tension evident in his glowing blue eyes and the slope of his shoulders as he slowly turned to scan the area around them. Dragons who were not always alert didn't live very long as the siblings had learned long ago.

"What can you see?" Matthew asked as his own eyes began to glow a deeper violet using his dragon sight to see what was causing the silence in the forest.

"Nothing," Alfred responded with an anxious edge to his voice. "Matt we gotta get out of here. There must be a wiz…"

Suddenly, the oppressive silence was broken by the most beautiful singing the siblings had ever heard. It seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere all at once. It was a haunting, hypnotic sound that swept over the pair like a tidal wave. They instantly felt their limbs grow heavy as if wrapped in lead and their minds became addled with drowsiness.

"Mattie...change into your dragon form. We have to...get away from here," the larger man said in between yawns as he unsteadily rose to his feet and reached out to help his brother.

Matthew tried valiantly to rise. His body just felt so heavy and he was so very tired.

"Alfie," he said turning half-lidded, fearful eyes upward to his brother before slumping against the embankment.

"Mattie! Mattie wake up!" Alfred cried desperately shaking his now unconscious brother's shoulder, but the lemon blonde remained asleep.

Fear gripped the cerulean eyed man's chest as he was finding it difficult to control his movements and the edges of his vision darkened. His fight or flight reflex kicked into high gear at this point.

"Dun worry, Matt. I'll get us outta here," the dark blonde slurred as he sluggishly moved to climb out of the pool.

He had barely gotten half way out of the pool when the singing grew in volume and Alfred felt his body double in weight causing him to collapse on the bank.

'No! I have to fight! I have to change form and get us out of here!' the azure eyed man thought frantically as he tried to draw up his magic but found he could not.

The tanned man fought valiantly against the tiredness that clawed at him but to no avail. Just as sweet oblivion came to carry the blonde away the singing stopped. Alfred lifted his head weakly and watched as a young man stepped into his line of sight.

His frame was small and effeminate clad in blue pants and loose white shirt. His head was crowned with short, pale blonde hair held back by a clip in the shape of a cross.

His face was drawn into an expression of complete indifference. His violet eyes, however, held the most heartbreaking look of remorse and sadness the tan man had ever seen.

Upon seeing that Alfred was still conscious the smaller man quickly made his way to the downed man. He knelt beside the wheat blonde and placed a slender hand on his forehead. Alfred raged internally at himself to move, to struggle, but he was so weak now.

"I'm so sorry," the pale blonde said his soft voice coated in regret. "So very sorry,"

Then the world swept away into blackness.

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><p>The sound of a child's desperate wails rang out loudly in the forest as a dark, wooden cart pulled by a large black mare leisurely moved along the well worn trail. The reins were firmly gripped in Gilbert's pale hands as he sent a silent prayer skyward for his niece to quiet her crying.<p>

"Penny, poppet, please calm down. We'll be home soon and you'll see mummy then," Arthur hopelessly pleaded with his distraught daughter. The infant had been sound asleep safely wrapped in her father's loving arms when she had suddenly came awake and started screaming for her mother.

"Liebling, look what Gillie has for you," the albino knight crooned from beside the blonde wizard as he produced a sweet from his tunic in hopes that it would appease the child. He held the candy out for the child to take, but the babe only continued her caterwauling.

"I just don't understand it. She has never behaved like this before," the peridot eyed man said as he gently bounced the little girl making soothing noises to ease the little one's distress.

"We should be home any second. Don't worry Art. Sometimes kids just want their mutters," Gilbert said encouragingly returning the sweet to his tunic. His words did little to comfort the other man.

Arthur hadn't wanted to say anything, but ever since Penny had begun her tantrum a feeling of foreboding had settled in his stomach. His link with Alfred should have been growing stronger yet as they approached home it had seemed to grow weaker. The wizard was unsettled and wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

A relieved sigh passed his lips as the cave the small family shared came into view. The red eyed man deftly maneuvered the cart to the mouth of the cave and both men descended from the vehicle quickly.

"Love, we're home," the sandy blonde called out as he walked determinedly into the cave with his still crying child held securely to his chest. When no response came trepidation again consumed the wizard. Moving swiftly he dashed from room to room searching out his mate and brother in-law. Panic gripped his chest as he found neither man.

"Gil, the boys aren't here!" Arthur cried anxiously as he burst back into the clearing with Penny clutched protectively to his chest. The girl's wails having faded into sniffling hiccups.

"I figured as much when Al didn't come running when he heard Penny crying," Gilbert said from the other side of the clearing where he was crouched observing the ground. "I found tracks leading toward the river,"

Without another word the two men were off in a flash dashing through the forest. The knight's hand instantly going to his sword and the wizard clutched his baby to him.

The nervous aura Arthur was radiating made the albino's own nerves stand on edge. He did not have the same understanding of magic his companion did but he did understand that he could not feel Matthew as he should through their bond. Anxiety for his mate and unborn child spurred the knight forward easily outpacing the wizard.

As soon as the river came into view they both knew something was amiss. Gilbert could see tracks of boot clad men and a cart cut into the soft earth of the riverbank. While Arthur could feel the remains of magic in the air.

The sandy blonde raised his right hand palm out and murmured softly. Instantly, green light filled his palm and little tendrils of light eased out to touch the air. Sparks of purple colored electricity flashed near the wizard's hand and he hissed in pain. Though little burn marks now dotted his skin the emerald eyed man continued to feel out the foreign magic.

Closing his eyes Arthur opened himself to his magic and images flashed against his eyelids. He saw Alfred and Matthew in dragon form approach the river before turning human to lounge in the soothing waters.

He watched in abject horror as panic filled Alfred's eyes and the brothers' collapsed. Rage boiled up inside him as he watched a figure approach his mate. He did not know who this man was, but at that moment he wanted nothing more than to rip out his still beating heart.

The wizard observed as his lover's attacker straightened his form and turned to face him squarely.

Arthur dispelled his magic and recoiled in shock with a gasp as he beheld the man's face.

"Arthur!" Gilbert shouted as he rushed to the smaller man's side and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "What is it? What did you see?"

Emerald eyes were wide and cycling through a menagerie of emotions; Fear, anger, confusion.

"He helped them take them," the wizard muttered still reeling from his shock.

"Who? Who helped take our mates?" the albino knight asked anxiously giving his companion's shoulder a small shake.

Distraught viridian eyes rose and locked with worried, angry vermilion.

"Lukas,"

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><p><strong>AN: AH YEAH! NORDICS! Good times ahead guys. Updates will hopefully be each weekend, but I make no promises. Until next time babies! <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Oh my gosh guys! Thank you so much for all the support. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this latest chapter up. I could bore you with excuses, but I won't. So here's the next chapter. Favs, follows, and comments feed my creativity. I sadly do not own anything but the plot.**

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><p>"Lukas? Who the Hell is Lukas and how do you know him? Start making sense Eyebrows!" Gilbert raged as he stormed into the cave hot on Arthur's heels. After the wizard had made his startling revelation he had raced through the woods back to their home in an utter panic. The albino knight had been taken by surprise by these sudden actions and had raced after his brother in-law. He had demanded answers but received none on their trek. This had led to his current foul humour.<p>

"I don't have time to explain Gilbert. Our mates are in danger and we need to get on their trail as soon as possible before it goes cold," the straw blonde barked angrily as he walked into his chamber. With determined steps he moved over to Penny's crib and laid the small child gently inside it. The poor babe had fallen asleep in exhaustion from sobbing over her missing mother.

Arthur gently brushed his daughter's bangs back and smiled at her with watery eyes. His heart ached for his poor child. She was barely a year old and had no understanding of the world. All she knows is that her mother was gone and it broke her little heart. The sandy blonde placed a loving kiss on the infant's brow before turning to his task. Moving deftly he flew around the room grabbing two satchels and filling them with various things.

"Now what the Hell are you doing? I don't care if we have time for an explanation or not. I want answers now!" the albino, who had stood fuming in the chamber entry way, shouted directing all of his anger upon his brother in-law. The smaller man paused to turn glaring green eyes on angry red.

"Go get your equipment and pack a travel bag. I'm leaving in ten minutes. I will explain everything later," the wizard stated coldly and left no room for questions. The knight watched his companion for a moment longer before storming off with a growl to his own chamber across from Arthur's.

Upon entering his chamber the knight felt his heart clench as he caught sight of the bassinet sitting next to Matthew's side of the bed. Alfred had gifted them with the little wooden cradle that had been Penny's shortly after Matthew had discovered he was with child. They had all been so happy and filled to bursting with joy that day. Ruby eyes blinked rapidly to hold back the distraught tears that threatened to fall as Gilbert gathered his satchel and began quickly filling it.

"Hold on lieblings. I'm on my way,"

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><p>"Oui, oui. I heard you the first time. I'm coming," Francis called out aggravatedly as he made his way to his front door that was being assaulted by some unknown brigand. He wiped his hands on his indigo apron to remove the flour that covered them. Why did people always insist on bothering him when he was in the middle of creating one of his marvelous pastries?<p>

Upon reaching his destination he grasped the knob firmly and threw open the door. His deep blue eyes widened in surprise at what he on his front step stood Gilbert and Arthur with a slumbering Penny held tightly to his chest.

"Mes amis did you forget something?" the blonde knight asked raising one well manicured brow curiously. He was bewildered as to why his friends had returned so soon after having been there no more than two hours ago.

"Nein, Franny. Something terrible has happened and we have a favor to ask," Gilbert said tensely as he fisted his hands at his sides barely able to contain his emotions.

"Of course mon ami. Whatever you need I am here to help but tell me what has happened?" the light blonde said opening his arms in a friendly gesture and worry edging each of his words.

"Someone has taken Alfred and Matthew," the albino said through clenched teeth and his eyes burned like embers.

"Mon dieux," the blue eyed night murmured and placed a hand over his heart. He pitied whatever fool had taken the lovers of these two men. They would know no mercy.

"We have to leave immediately if we want to have any luck of finding our mates," Arthur spoke for the first time as he stepped forward with his daughter held tightly in his arms. "While it pains me to ask this would you please care for Penny in my absence?"

Francis stared at the wizard in surprise. He knew it was killing Arthur to ask him for help and normally he would jump at the opportunity to tease the life out of the smaller blonde. It was one of his favorite activities, but now was not the time for such things. This situation was far too grave for childish antics.

"Of course, mon ami. I will care for her as if she were my own," the blue eyed blonde said as he extended his arms to accept his charge.

"You had better," Arthur stated as he looked down into the sleeping face of his daughter and he felt his chest constrict. "Don't you worry poppet. Daddy will find mummy and make sure that those who took him pay dearly,"

The sandy blonde placed a kiss on the infant's cheek before carefully handing her to Francis. He set the largest of his two satchels down within the entrance of Francis' home before focusing his attention on the homeowner.

"Everything you should need is in that satchel. It's bigger on the inside. Now she'll be hungry when she wakes. We've been giving her oats soaking in warm goats milk. She has recently learned to walk so don't take your eyes off her for a moment…"

"Eyebrow's calm yourself. I have taken care of petits enfants before. Go and rescue your lovers. Penny and I will be waiting for your valiant return," Francis interjected with a soft chuckle effectively cutting off the wizard's overprotective rambling.

Arthur glared at the taller blonde, quite indignant at being cut off, before dropping his gaze with a resigned sigh.

"Right then," he murmured looking one last time at his precious child. "Come along, Gil. We have dragons to find,"

The wizard turned hurriedly causing his cloak to billow dramatically as he began walking away from the other blonde's home. The albino nodded to his companion before quickly leaning forward and placed a kiss on the slumbering baby's cheek.

"Worry not little one. Onkel will bring everyone back safe and sound because he's awesome like that," Gilbert said in his usual cocky manner and turned his ruby eyes on Francis. "Take care of her mein freund,"

"You can count on me mon ami," the blonde knight said as he held his charge firmly to his chest and smiled reassuringly.

The pale knight gave a small nod before turning on his heels to follow after his brother in-law.

"Oh, one more thing, Francypants," Gilbert paused in his movements to look back at his friend. "Whatever you do, do not take that bracelet off of Penny,"

Francis looked at his friend quizzically before his gaze fell upon the baby's small left wrist that was encircled by a small silver chain. Every few links there was a small disc that was inscribed with symbols the blonde did not recognize.

"Why?" the deep blue eyed man queried as he fingered the lovely trinket.

"That's the only thing keeping her magic in check. That comes off and you may find your hair set on fire by a baby dragon," the knight said with a grimace at memories of his own troubles with his niece. "Good luck,"

With that the albino tore off after his companion leaving a stunned and quaking Francis in his wake.

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><p>When Alfred awoke three things registered in his head. One he was starving, two he was freezing, and three he felt like he had been repeatedly run over by a cart.<p>

With a pained groan the wheat blonde slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. He took note that whatever he was laying on was hard and cold.

He slowly slid his blue eyes open and blinked to drive away the blurriness. As the world became clearer Alfred could see that he was not in the cave he shared with his family. It was far too dark and small. It was bitterly cold and the torch light left much in shadow. The stone was completely different and were those cell bars?

'_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,'_

Sudden flashes of memory pushed painfully to the forefront of the tan man's mind and panic constricted his chest.

That man. The man with the sad, violet eyes he had done something. Something that had made them pass out and now they'd been taken. He and Matt...Oh scales Matt!? Where was Mattie?!

Terrified cerulean eyes darted frantically around the unfamiliar cave before falling on the prone form of Matthew, who lay facing him on the other side of the small space. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be barely breathing.

Alfred was instantly on his feet at rushed to his brother's side. His body trembled in fear as he knelt down and gently shook the lemon blonde's shoulder.

"Mattie! Please wake up! Please be all right!" the ash blonde said near hysterically as he continued to shake the smaller man's shoulder as gently as his quaking hands would allow.

A pained, aggravated groan resounded in the small space and the tan blonde thought it to be one of the most beautiful sounds he'd ever heard. Bleary amethyst eyes blinked open and looked up questioningly at the larger man.

"Al? What's going on? Where are we?" Matthew asked groggily as he tried to lift himself into a sitting position.

"I don't know Matt. I woke up just a little bit ago," Alfred responded as he gently helped his brother into an upright position.

"How did we even get here? Last thing I remember we were at the river. There was singing," the lemon blonde said as his indigo eyes surveyed their new surroundings.

Alfred opened his mouth to respond but snapped it shut when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The larger male's protective instincts kicked in full force and he shifted to his feet. Placing his body so that he was between his sibling and the cell entrance.

The footsteps grew louder until they sounded like they were mere meters from coming into view. Azure eyes watched as a figure came within his sight. The man was tall and well built with pale skin. He wore loose black trousers and a deep red shirt. His blonde hair stood up in a spiked style that defied gravity and a small cap somehow managed to adorn his head. When his blue eyes fell upon the pair a wide grin spread on is attractive face.

"You're awake. That's awesome," the stranger said as he shifted the bundle he carried under his left arm and used the other to swing open the cell entrance which apparently had not been locked in the first place. He sauntered into the cell still grinning and slowly approached the brothers.

Alfred bared his teeth and took up a defensive stance. He growled warningly at the other man causing him to pause in his endeavour. The spiky blonde cocked his head to the side in a questioning gesture.

"What's with the hostility man? I just came to bring you guys some clothes," the tall man asked and lifted the bundle under his left arm to show his intent.

"I just woke up in a cell with my unconscious brother. Forgive me if I'm not very trusting," the tan man said snarkily still baring his teeth and his stance radiating aggression.

"Ah, now I see where you're coming from. I was pretty hostile when I got here too, but you can chill man. I'm a prisoner here too," the blue eyed blonde said strolling forward and offered his unoccupied hand. "I'm Mathias,"

The ash blonde eyed the other man wearily before he slowly took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Alfred and this is my brother, Matthew," the cerulean eyed blonde said indicating the lemon blonde with a nod of his head and releasing Mathias' hand.

"Oh another Matt. That's cool dude," the spiky blonde said looking past Alfred to the still sitting Matthew and his smile widened.

"Nice to meet you," the periwinkle eyed man said as a shiver visibly ran through his entire body. Mathias took notice of this and his smile lessened significantly.

"Here lets find you something to wear. The cold isn't good for the baby," the tall man said stepping around Alfred so that he could reach Matthew.

Instinctively, Alfred's hand shot out grasping Mathias' upper arm stopping him in his tracks. Tension instantly radiated between the two large blondes at the aggressive action. Sensing an impending fight Matthew took action to defuse the situation.

"Al, let him go. We can trust him," the pale blonde said soothingly as his soft violet eyes looked with his brother's worried azure ones. Cautiously, the wheat blonde released the other man, but his eyes followed every move the other made.

Once he was released Mathias quickly knelt down beside Matthew and set down his bundle.

"He always like this?" the pale man asked as he picked through the clothing he had brought looking for something the other blonde could wear.

"No, usually he's a big, dumb puppy dog," the amethyst eyed blonde said with a snicker.

"Hey! That's mean Mattie," Alfred said indignantly as he crossed his arms over his chest and a pout formed on his face.

"Man you two remind me of my brother and me," Mathias said with a snicker before his eyes drifted off wistfully. "I miss him a lot,"

"I'm sorry, Mathias," the wavy blonde said resting a gentle hand on the other's arm. "Where is he?"

"Don't know, but anywhere is better than here," the taller man said with a bitter note in his voice as he pulled out a pair of large white trousers and an equally large bright red tunic. He handed the articles of clothing to the smaller man and returned to the bundle to find something for Alfred.

"Where is here exactly?" Alfred asked as he stepped forward to help his brother rise to his feet. The very pregnant man shot his brother a very appreciative look before he pulled the shirt over his head.

Mathias rose to his feet, having found a pair of blue trousers and white shirt that looked like they would fit the tan man. He handed the clothing to the ash blonde and smiled bitterly.

"Welcome to Nordlin. The land of eternal ice and cold. Otherwise known as dragon hell. Population our unfortunate asses," the spiky haired blonde said making a grand sweeping gesture with his arms. "We are the unwilling guests and soon to be slaves of this jackass who calls himself 'The Dragon Master"

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><p><strong>AN: Looky who joined the party! Little bit of plot progression here. Sorry I didn't explain much (not sorry). Don't worry things just keep getting better. Plus I've added in several pairings to help things along, but you'll have to read on to see who else comes to play. Until next chapter my darlings! Ciao bella!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Man I REALLY suck at updating consistently. I'm so sorry dear readers! Here is a long chapter. Seriously, this one just didn't want to end. We get some new faces too. Enjoy!**

**I own just the plot. **

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><p>Strands of green light swirled and spun suspended in the air between Arthur's pale hands. His eyes were closed in concentration as soft words were murmured in an ancient tongue causing the light to shift and solidify. The viridian light morphed into the form of a compass. The needle of the magical construct spun wildly without focus. The wizard's brow furrowed in frustration as his words became more aggressive and harsh making the needle stutter in its movement. A crack formed along the surface of the construct before the entire creation collapsed in on itself and withered to shimmering dust.<p>

"GAH! Why isn't it working?!" Arthur cried out in utter frustration as he threw his arms up in the air as a gesture of defeat. The wizard had tried for the better part of an hour to create a tracking spell with no success.

A snicker at his back made the sandy blonde turn and glare at his companion. Gilbert sat on a large rock in the clearing they had chosen to stop in to attempt the spell. His head rested in his right hand that was supported by resting on his knee. His once bored expression was now replaced by one of mirth.

"And what, pray tell, is so amusing?" the smaller man all but growled at the knight with venom lacing his voice.

"You know the definition of insanity is repeating the same action again and again while expecting a different outcome," the albino commented as he slowly rose from his spot and stretched his tired body. They had been on the move non-stop for five days and it was taking a toll on them both.

"Your point," Arthur groused as he turned away from the other man and prepared to try his spell one more time.

"My point, Eyebrows," the silver haired man sauntered forward and flung an arm over the smaller man's shoulders. "Is that we need to try something else to track our dragons,"

The smaller man pulled away from his brother in-law and turned irritated viridian eyes on him.

"I've told you already. You have to fight magic with magic. We tried your way to begin with and that trail went cold quickly. No, we're doing this my way," the straw blonde said as he took a deep breath and again prepared to try his spell.

"Come on, Art. Give it a rest so we can at least get something to eat. We've been at this for days without a break. I'm starving and bet you are too," the knight whined as he wrapped his arms around his middle to emphasize his words.

"I am perfectly fine. There are more important things to do now than…" the wizard trailed off as a rather loud growl emanated from his midsection.

Silence hung over the pair for several moments before loud barking laughter rang out from the albino knight.

"Oh man that was classic. I'm glad to see that at least your stomach has some sense," Gilbert said wiping tears from his ruby eyes once he had gotten his laughter under control.

"Traitor," Arthur muttered at his treacherous belly with a vicious glare before raising his eyes to meet his companions. "All right you win. I believe I saw an inn about a meter back. I'll just find a large enough shadow…"

"Oh no," the knight interjected and raised his arms defensively. "We are not doing that weird shadow travel thing you like to do again,"

"And why the bloody Hell not? It's faster than walking," the green eyed wizard queried as he crossed his arms over his chest obstinately.

"It's creepy and un-awesome. I swear something touched me the last time we went through one," the pale man said with a shudder.

"Oh, is the big, brave knight perhaps a little scared of the dark?" the sandy blonde teased with an evil smirk curling his lips.

"No way! Someone as awesome as me isn't afraid of anything," the vermilion eyed knight exclaimed indignantly.

"Then what's the problem?" Arthur asked as he uncrossed his arms and strode over to a large tree. He inspected the shadow it cast for a moment before finding it to be satisfactory for travel. He drew some magic into his hand and waved it above the shadow with a few soft words. The darkness slowly became more dense and solidified into a set of descending stairs.

"There is not a problem. It's just that the dark makes me...uneasy. I dislike not being able to see what's coming at me," Gilbert said as he walked up behind the wizard knowing that he had lost this battle.

"Do you need me to hold your hand?" the smaller man questioned turning to face the larger man with a malicious, teasing glint in his viridian eyes and offered his hand.

"You're an ass," the albino said smacking away the smaller man's hand. "Let's just get this over with,"

The wizard snickered as he turned and descended into the shadow with the knight right on his heels.

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><p>An hour later found the pair finishing the meal they had ordered upon reaching the small roadside inn. It was a rather nondescript establishment all old worn wood and travel decoration. The beds were warm and the food decent as the pair had just learned.<p>

"That hit the spot," Gilbert said with an appreciative belch as he set down his utensils and patted his now full stomach.

"You are disgusting, " Arthur said with a look of utter disdain as he dabbed at the corner of his mouth with his napkin before setting it aside.

"Hey that was a compliment in other lands," the knight retorted rocking his seat back onto two legs and rubbing his stomach more.

"Well here it is rude and disgusting. Honestly, how you were ever allowed to dine with nobles and royals is beyond me," the wizard said with a roll of his eyes before taking a sip of the tea he had ordered.

"It's because I'm just that awesome," the vermilion eyed man said with an impish grin as he slowly lowered his chair to rest on all its legs. He leaned forward slightly and locked eyes with his companion. "Have you noticed the brunette in the corner?"

The straw blonde quirked one massive brow questioningly before covertly shifting his gaze to observe the aforementioned brunette. The woman's hair was long and held back by what appeared to be orange flowers. She wore a light green cloak that off set her vibrant green eyes that currently were boring a hole into the pair.

The wizard's gaze shifted back to his brother in-law.

"I thought your tastes ran more towards violet eyed blondes," he teased and took another sip of his tea.

"While she is quite attractive she can't hold a candle to mein birdie. I'm more interested in why she has been staring us down since we got here," the silver haired knight said before shooting the green eyed woman a flirtatious wink. He smirked at how she recoiled at his forward actions. Pulling a face as if she had tasted something vile. Arthur chuckled at his friend and gracefully rose to his feet.

"Shall we find out then what has drawn this woman's undivided attention upon us?" the blonde wizard queried as Gilbert also stood from his seat. The albino grinned wolfishly at the smaller man.

"Absolutely," he said before he casually led the way to the tavern door. The pair made their exit and had barely gotten a few meters from the inn before they heard footsteps behind them.

"Not very stealthy is she?" the straw blonde commented just loud enough for his companion to hear him.

"No, not at all. On three then?" the ruby eyed man responded at a matching volume while keep his gaze locked forward and his mannerisms casual.

"One," the wizard said as he gathered magic into his hands.

"Zwei," Gilbert's own hand moved to the dagger in his belt. Moving wordlessly as one the two men did an abrupt about face and took up defensive stances fully prepared for any attack their pursuer may have for them. To their utter bewilderment all they found was empty space.

"Where did she go?" Arthur questioned as he shifted so that his back was pressed against the knight's back.

"I don't know. So keep your eyes open," the silver haired man said cooley as his red eyes scanned the area around him and he held his dagger firmly in his hand. He was in his element though it had been sometime since last he was in a battle. All was deathly silent save for the sound of their own breathing.

The sudden sound of rushing footsteps caught the knight's attention and he barely had time to dodge to the left as a dagger came dangerously close to slicing his chest. The woman growled in frustration and fell back slightly to give herself room for another attack. Going on the offensive Gilbert followed her movements and swung his own blade aiming to wound her rather than kill.

The brunette was amazingly fast though and managed to dodge his attack. The silver haired man quickly assessed that due to her speed he would either need to take this opponent down quickly by finding an opening or he would have to waste time wearing her down. Choosing the former the knight decided to use his secret weapon: His mouth.

"I have to say I'm use to women throwing themselves at me for my awesome attention, but this is the first time I've been attacked. Honestly, gorgeous all you had to do was introduce yourself," Gilbert said flirtatiously as he dropped back into defensive mode making the woman falter minutely.

"Don't flatter yourself, you bastard. Just tell me where Roderich is and maybe I'll spare your sorry life," the green eyed woman growled as her face contorted into a disgusted sneer. She lunged forward aiming for the ruby eyed man's throat. The albino easily dodged the attack and countered with an attack of his own forcing his opponent to fall back.

"Who's Roderich?" the knight queried quirking one silvery brow as he fell into a defensive stance.

"Don't play dumb with me! I can smell the dragons on you!" the tawny haired female exclaimed as she attacked in a furious flurry. The dragon comment caught the ruby eyed man's attention, but he would worry about that once he had subdued the woman. Her attacks were rapid yet they were very sloppy and Gilbert saw his opportunity.

Moving swiftly the albino dodged the downward swing of his opponents blade and surged forward tackling the smaller woman to the ground. He quickly managed to disarm the green eyed woman and pin her by capturing her hands above her head in each of his own. His hips straddled hers and he found himself fighting to hold her. She was surprisingly strong as she continued to wrestle against him.

"Quit struggling before you get yourself hurt," the silver haired male barked as his vermilion eyes locked with enraged green. The brunette stopped her wriggling, but continued to stare venomously at her captor.

"Release me," she ordered through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, not gonna happen. Now start explaining that bit about the dragons sweetheart," the knight said with a condescending smirk.

"Your funeral," the captured woman said with an odd little half smile and a victorious glint in her eyes. A sudden scream escaped the green eyed woman's lips and her back arched at a sharp angle. The sudden jerk of the smaller frame managed to dislodge the pale man and forced him to release his captive.

Red eyes watched in a mix of wonder and horror as the woman rolled onto her stomach as the sound of tearing ligaments and snapping bones filled the air. Soft brown fur began to sprout up all over the writhing female as her body morphed into a new shape. The simple tan tunic and short skirt she had worn tore and fell away. An agonized scream shifted into an agonized howl as her teeth grew more pointed and her face elongated into a snout. Moments later the green eyed woman was gone and in her place stood a massive tawny wolf. The creature turned and growled aggressively at the knight.

"Um, Art. I think I'm going to need some help over here," Gilbert called out to his companion his eyes never leaving the beast before him. He knew the minute he let his guard down the wolf would rip out his throat.

"I'm dealing with my own problems right now, Gil. You're a big strong knight you'll be fine," the wizard called back as he managed to deflect another blow with his magic shield.

When the knight had been attacked by the brunette woman Arthur had himself been set upon by a blue eyed, brunette man. He wore a simple forest green tunic and trousers. Though he looked quite non-threatening the determined glint in his eyes and way he swung his broad sword proved otherwise.

"You seem like a reasonable fellow, sir. Couldn't we discuss whatever you and your companions issue with us is like gentleman?" the sandy blonde queried as he lashed out with the whip-like strand of magic he had called to his aid.

The tawny haired man dodged the whip's bite and followed up with an attack of his own only to have it deflect off of the wizard's shield.

"Elizaveta says she smells dragons on you," the blue eyed male said simply as he pulled back for another attack. Arthur's eyes narrowed at the mention of dragons and the grip on his whip tightened.

"And what of it?" the viridian eyed man asked harshly as he snapped his weapon at his opponent.

"It means you may know or work for whoever took our dragons," the brunette said as he unexpectedly took the hit to his shoulder from the whip full on. His actions stunned the wizard into inaction. A victorious smile crossed the other man's face as he bolted forward with all his might and knocked the blonde to the ground. Having lost his concentration Arthur's magic dissipated and he found the edge of a blade pressed dangerously close to his throat.

"Now tell me where my Feliks is or I swear I will end you here," the brown haired male threatened with his eyes full of murderous intent. A light went on in Arthur's mind as understanding swept over him.

"My mate was taken as well," the magic wielder said simply as his green eyes locked with blue. His assailant started slightly at the casual statement, but recovered swiftly.

"You're trying to trick me,"

"No, I can prove it. My mated mark is just below my left collarbone. I can show you," the sandy blonde said as he tried to convey his sincerity in both his words and eyes. Blue eyes surveyed the downed man wearily before the brunette gave a consenting nod.

The green eyed man slowly brought his left hand up and clasped the collar of his tunic. He tugged it down and there below his collarbone were the scars from where Alfred's teeth had marked him.

Cobalt eyes widened in realization and the tawny haired man pulled away from his opponent.

"You're telling the truth," he said in a small, guilty voice.

"Of course I am. Now, please, call your friend off my companion. My mate's brother will be quite upset if she kills him," the wizard said a bit gruffly as he rubbed at his throat. The man nodded before rising to his feet and approaching the other pair.

"Elizaveta, stop. Their like us. Their mates were taken to," the brunette called to his companion causing her to pause. She had her body pressed firmly into Gilbert's chest and her jaws were poised to tear out his throat. The brown wolf pulled back and quizzically eyed her friend.

"Mr. Knight show her your mated mark," the brunette male said.

Gilbert eyed the other man before looking to Arthur who gave him a nodded that indicated he should as he was told. The albino quickly took hold of his collar and pulled it aside to show where Matthew had marked his shoulder.

Green eyes surveyed the mark briefly before a wet snout lowered and snuffled at the spot. The tawny wolf shifted back and climbed off of her opponent. She then sauntered off to the treeline and disappeared.

"Mind explaining what is going on, Eyebrows?" Gilbert asked as he rose to his feet and rubbed his tender chest.

"It would seem our boys are not the only dragons that have been taken," Arthur explained as he moved to stand beside his brother in-law.

"And they attacked us because?"

"We thought you were the ones who had taken our mates," the brunette woman, Elizaveta apparently, stated as she reappeared from the trees clad in her green cloak. "You do smell of dragon,"

"So naturally, anyone who smelt of dragon had to be a dragon-napper. Makes total sense," the albino knight snarked as his ruby eyes rolled skyward.

"Honest mistake," Elizaveta countered as she fixed the silver haired man with an icy glare.

"If you two are quite finished with behaving like children I propose we work together to find our mates," the wizard interjected huffily. Bewildered green and red eyes turned to focus on the sandy blonde.

"You're kidding right, Art? This psycho nearly ripped my throat out," Gilbert exclaimed gesturing slightly at the brown haired woman.

"Watch who you're calling psycho, asshole. I kicked your ass once. I can do it again," the smaller woman said with a threatening growl.

"I agree with the wizard," the brunette man suddenly injected in hopes of distracting the bickering pair. All eyes were quickly focused on him.

"Toris, you traitor, how could you agree with him? We're fine on our own," the woman argued.

"No, Elizaveta. Our trail has run cold. We need help," the tawny haired man, Toris, countered and glared determinedly at his companion. They stood locked in a battle of wills for several moments before Elizaveta surrendered with a resigned sigh.

"Fine," she groused and turned away from the group to pout. Toris rolled his eyes before turning toward Arthur.

"So where do we start?"

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><p><strong>AN: Oh looky some AusHun and LietPol to look forward too! I have one more pairing to work in and I bet y'all can guess who that is. Okay dearies we get back to dragons next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope to see you in the next one! Ciao!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hello, hello dearies! I'm back with another chapter! Hope everyone had a good holiday! I will have a significant amount of free time here in the near future so maybe I can crank out a few chapters. We're back to the dragons now.**

**I own just the plot. Enjoy!**

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><p>"So this Dragon Master asshole, what does he want exactly?" Alfred asked as he and Matthew followed behind Mathias. The tall blonde was leading them through the halls of the small wing that housed all the captives. Apparently, there were better accommodations than the barren, cold cell.<p>

"Oh, you know. Take over the world starting with Ailateh. You know the usual megalomaniac dick spiel," the blue eyed man said with a casual wave of his right hand.

"And he's going to use us as his 'ultimate weapon'," Matthew added making air quotes with his fingers.

"Hit the nail right on the head," the large man said sending a smile over his shoulder at the petite blonde.

"So this moron thinks we're just going to fall in line and do his evil bidding?" the ash blonde asked as the trio continued winding their way through the halls of the fortress.

"Pfft. No, he's not that stupid...Oh, look here's the common room. Come on I'll introduce you to the others," Mathias said as he pushed open the wooden door.

When the brothers walked into the new space they were shocked by what they found. The room was very large with numerous torches imbedded into the walls to give off light since there were no windows. Grand woven multi colored rugs covered much of the floor. Plush couches and settees were grouped about the area with small tables near some. Bookcases lined one wall, but held little contents.

"This place is pretty swank," Alfred said with an appreciative whistle as he and Matthew moved further into the room.

"Like thanks. Rod and I totally arranged everything ourselves," a voice called out surprising the siblings. A head of blonde hair suddenly popped up from one of the couches facing away from them. The new person turned to face the small group with a smile. "Oh, but like aren't you two a pair of cuties?"

The new blonde quickly bounded up from their seat and flounced over to the siblings. It was a bit difficult to tell if their new companion was male or female since they were attired in a white peasant shirt tucked neatly into a long pink skirt yet lacked any feminine curves.

"Guys meet Feliks. Don't let the skirt fool you. While he does look like a sexy lady he is definitely a guy," Mathias said as he gestured to the smaller blonde whose green eyes were currently assessing the brothers.

"You would know, Mat, since you like checked. Oh, this one like has a little pudge on him," the effeminate man teased as he prodded Alfred's midsection making him jump.

"Hey! Rude much?" the wheat blonde grumbled but was completely ignored as the green eyed blonde now had his focus on Matthew.

"Like oh my scales you have got to be the cutest little pregnant thing I have like ever seen," the pink clad male exclaimed as he buzzed around the lemon blonde. "You're skin is like amazing and you like have to tell me what you put in your hair. It looks so soft,"

Feeling cornered the periwinkle eyed man shot his brother a pleading look in hopes of being rescued, but all he received was a shrug.

A jovial chuckle from Mathias quickly drew everyone's attention.

"Down, Feliks. You're scaring him," the spiky haired blonde said teasingly. The green eyed blonde turned toward him with a pout.

"But Mat! He is like SO cute," the petite blonde said latching firmly onto Matthew's left arm.

"I can't argue with you there, but give him some room to breath. He is pregnant," the tall man said with a casual wave of his hand.

"Oh, for goodness sake. Would you all please keep it down? Some of us are trying to enjoy the escapism of a good book and break up the utter boredom of this prison," another voice suddenly spoke out drawing all eyes to the opposite side of the room.

There in a large maeve armchair sat a very aristocratic looking brunette. His violet eyes, set behind a pair of black frame glasses, had stopped the perusal of the book he held daintily in his hand to haughtily look up at the group of blondes.

"Like Roddy put down that musty thing and like come say hello to the new arrivals," Feliks chirped excitedly releasing Matthew to wave over the other man.

With a rather put upon sigh the purple eyed male snapped his book closed and set it aside. He rose fluidly to his feet and fixed the invisible wrinkles in his indigo shirt that was tucked neatly into a pair of brown trousers.

With an air of aristocracy the dark haired man strode across the room to join the group.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Roderich," he said levelly as he extended his right hand toward Alfred upon reaching the ash blonde.

"Alfred and this is my brother Matthew," the azure eyed male responded nodding toward the lemon blonde and took the pre-offered hand before giving it a good shake.

"Nice to meet you," Matthew said as he moved forward and also shook the brunette's hand.

"Likewise, " Roderich said before turning his attention to Mathias. "Have you told them about what has been going on?"

"A little bit. We were actually discussing it on the way here," the tall blonde said with a grin.

"Have you explained to them about Lukas..."

At that moment the door to the common room flew open cutting off Roderich's words and drawing everyone's attention.

When Alfred's eyes fell upon the figure now standing in the doorway he felt the blood in his veins run cold. It was the amethyst eyed man that he had seen just before he lost consciousness.

"Lukas~," Mathias merrily crooned as he swiftly moved toward the rather petite man with his arms held apart indicating that he intended to embrace the other. The wheat blonde was baffled by this friendly behavior. Did the others not know that this was the wizard who had helped lead to their imprisonment?

Unfortunately, he did not have time to mull this over as he watched a coil of purple magic form in the pale blonde's hand. It then wound its way about the larger blonde's neck when he was a mere foot from the violet eyed man. Cerulean eyes narrowed angrily as Mathias suddenly found himself being jerked down to eye level with the smaller man.

"You idiotic dragon. This is where you've been? There are things I need you to do and you are here having a social hour," Lukas said in a manner that was so cool and level it came across more menacingly than if had yelled the words instead.

"Babe...Can't...Breathe…" the spiky haired male gasped out as his hands rose to his neck and tried to tug at the magic coil.

With a roll of his eyes and an irritated sigh the pale blonde dispelled the binding. Mathias greedily sucked in large mouthfuls of air to ease his aching lungs.

"Did you at least see to the new acquisitions?" the wizard queried flatly and crossed his arms over his chest.

Oh, that was it. Alfred had seen and heard enough. He was going to take this haughty little ice queen out and they were all getting the Hell out of here. Moving slowly, so as not to draw attention, the ash blonde moved into a position that would do minimal damage to the space around him and prepared to shift forms.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the pale wizard said suddenly without even looking in the blue eyed man's direction. The tan male was stunned momentarily, but quickly recovered sending a death glare at his enemy.

"Screw you, you dragon-napping asshole," he shouted before calling upon his dragon magic.

"I warned you," Lukas said casually.

A scream of utter agony tore its way past Alfred's lips as sudden searing pain radiated outward from the spot just behind his left ear and coursed through his body. The large man collapsed to the floor and curled into a ball as his form felt as if it was being ripped apart from the inside.

"ALFRED!" Matthew screamed as he shot toward his brother in an utter panic. The lemon blonde knelt beside his writhing sibling and embraced him. He was horrified to find that Alfred had passed out from the pain. Enraged, periwinkle eyes glared up at the petite wizard.

"What did you do to him you son of a bitch?"

With an irritated sigh the pale blonde paused in his beratement of Mathias to turn bored eyes on the other blonde.

"I did nothing. He did it to himself," the purple eyed wizard said before again turning to the spiky haired blonde.

"Don't' brush me off you bastard. I want answers!" Matthew cried out angrily as he rose up slightly but still protectively clung to Alfred.

"I don't have time for this," Lukas grumbled as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mathias, I'm going to see what my sources have to report. Explain to the new arrivals how things work here. I will see you later,"

With that the wizard turned on his heels and promptly left the common room. Venomous purple eyes followed his retreating form until he was gone from sight before turning on Mathias.

"Start explaining now," the lemon blonde commanded authoritatively as he shifted into a sitting position and gently cradled Alfred's head in his lap. The wheat blonde whimpered in protest of being moved, but calmed as Matthew's slender fingers carded through his hair soothingly.

Mathias looked over to the smaller man with weary eyes. He gave a heavy sigh before striding forward and seating himself cross legged on the floor in front of the brothers. He placed his elbow on his knee he propped his head in his hand.

"So where do you want me to start?"

"How about with who exactly that magic wielding prick is?" Matthew said tersely.

"Like be careful, cutie. That's Mat's mate you're like talking about," Feliks said teasingly as he flounced over to the group and sat himself beside Matthew.

"What?!" the lemon blonde exclaimed turning incredulous eyes upon the flamboyant male.

"Oh it's like totally true and like so totally, romantically tragic," the green eyed male said dramatically draped the back of his hand over his eyes.

"He's being overly dramatic," Roderich interjected as he too joined the group choosing to sit on a footstool rather than the floor.

"I like am not," the effeminate man whined as he dropped his hand to give the brunette a pouty glare.

"This is Mathias' story to tell, Feliks. It doesn't need all your embellishment," the violet eyed man said ignoring the smaller man in favor of picking non-existent lint off of his shirt sleeve.

"Like whatever. Go on and tell them Mat," Feliks said with a huff crossing his arms over his chest petulantly and mumbling about 'up tight dragon jerks'.

Mathias, who had been uncharacteristically quiet this whole time, gave a small chuckle.

"He makes it sound more interesting than it is," he said rubbing the back of his neck with a slight blush. "Lukas is my mate and a wizard if you hadn't guessed,"

"The purple coil around your neck was kind of a dead give away," Matthew commented as a small, amused smile crossed his lips as he recalled Arthur doing something similar to Alfred when they had first met.

"Yeah, he has a talent for taming us magical creatures, my Lukas does," the spiky blonde said with a fond smile before it fell away into a deep frown. "Things weren't always like this,"

The larger man's hands curled into tight fists and Matthew could tell that the other man was barely containing his rage.

"We all were so happy living together. Me and my brother, Berwald and his mate Tino. Lukas and his little brother , Emil. We lived in a very large cave in the mountain range that forms a barrier between Ailateh and Nordlin. Everything was so peaceful and we were content,"

Here the blue eyed blonde trailed off and his eyes glazed over as he became lost in a memory. A wistful smile graced his lips and the lemon blonde couldn't help smiling as well. He looked down at Alfred and marveled at how similar their lives were to Mathias' own. They were living peacefully with their own family until Lukas had aided in their capture. So what had happened to make the violet eyed wizard do these horrible things?

"Mathias," the periwinkle eyed man said snapping his companion out of his reverie. "What happened to Lukas? Why is he helping the Dragon Lord?"

A deep scowl furrowed the larger man's handsome features and the line of his jaw hardened as his teeth clenched angrily.

"The Dragon Lord. That bastard," Mathias spat out with such acidity it was surprising it didn't melt his lips. "Berwald, Tino, and I had decided to go for some supplies. Normally, we all would have gone together, but Emil was not feeling well that day. Lukas chose to stay behind and care for him,"

Suddenly, the blue eyed blonde shot to his feet and aggressively began pacing.

"I knew I should have stayed behind. I had this feeling that something wasn't right. If I'd stayed they wouldn't have taken Lukas by surprise and gotten their hands on Emil,"

A fire burst to life in Matthew's eyes as, suddenly, everything made complete sense. The Dragon Lord had attacked when Lukas vulnerable and taken his brother as a means of coercion.

"That son of a bitch," Matthew swore and unconsciously curled slightly over Alfred's still recovering body protectively.

"You can say that again," the spiky haired blonde said with a disdainful chuckle. "When we got back they both were gone without a trace,"

"So how did you wind up here?" the purple eyed man asked. The bigger man stopped his pacing to look down at his companion.

"Lukas and I are bonded. I simply 'felt' for him and that 'feeling' led me straight to him," Mathias replied casually with a goofy grin.

Understanding filled each pair of eyes that were present. They all at one point and time had felt that 'pull' toward the one they were bonded to. Even now they could each feel the tug of an invisible string urging them to seek their other half.

"So when Al called on his magic what happened? Why was he in pain?" Matthew asked as he looked down at his brother who now seemed to have fallen into a peaceful, painless slumber.

"Do you see a mark behind his left ear?" Mathias queried. The lemon blonde brushed back his brother's hair and did in fact find an odd symbol there. Purple eyes looked up questioningly.

"That is a bindrune that is barring all of you from calling on your magic. It's almost completely separated you from your dragon selves," the blue eyed male explained as the lemon blonde's eyes widened in horror.

"That's how he intends to control us? By separating us from our dragon selves? Does that bastard not know that doing so could kill us?" the wavy haired blonde exclaimed.

"Oh, he knows, but doesn't care," Roderich said with a disdainful sniff. Matthew could tears forming in his eyes as he hung his head in defeat.

"Oh, like don't despair cutie. Lukas like has a plan to get us out of this," Feliks said wrapping a comforting arm around the other blonde.

"Really?" the pregnant male asked pitifully.

"Yeah, and like we have an ace up our sleeve too," the green eyed blonde said looking toward Mathias. Curious periwinkle eyes looked up at the large blonde who was grinning like a fool. He knelt down and turned his head to show his companion the area behind his left ear. A victorious smile spread on Matthew's face as he found that Mathias lacked the bindrune they all bore.

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><p><strong>AN: So I have NEVER written some of these characters before and there are A LOT of them. I hope none of them are to OOC, but if so please forgive me. All right so I'm feeling like we're close to half way done with this story. Got all kinds of action coming up including the birth of Mattie's baby (but we have some things to do before that)! Keep vigilant readers! Until next time!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Happy 2015 my dearest readers! I hope you all are well and are ready for another installment of 'Rescuing'. We have some progression in this chapter, but sadly no dragons. I feel like there will be 4-6 more chapters for this story, plus a bonus side story chapter. So we have that to look forward to. Also, people keep asking "Where are Tino and Ber?". My response "Patients, younglings. All will be revealed in due time,". Well let's get to it!**

**I do not own Hetalia. (As much as I wish I did)**

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><p>"I don't like this. I don't like this at all," Gilbert groused for what seemed like the thousandth time as he walked alongside his brother in-law. The silver haired knight had been in a rather foul humor since the group had set out on their journey together. Frankly, it was getting on the wizard's last nerve.<p>

After a rather tense discussion following the quartets little scuffle they (more accurately Arthur and Toris since the other two found it more amusing to verbally spar with each other) had decided that the werewolves would start tracking Alfred and Matthew's scent since it was found to be fresher than that of Roderich and Feliks. That had been nearly a fortnight ago.

"Your complaints have been duly noted and dismissed. Now please do shut up," Arthur snarked with a roll of his green eyes. He could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Again.

"I don't understand how you are being so calm about all this," the albino said gesturing to the downward sloping mountain path ahead of them as they followed behind the two large tawny wolves. They had been travelling steadily northward and now found themselves crossing into Nordlin; The wintery region on the other side of the mountains running along the border of Ailateh.

"For all you know they are leading us into a trap," Garnet eyes fixated on the smaller wolf in a fierce, distrustful glower.

"Oh, I am fully aware that that is a possibility. However, I doubt it to be the case," the sandy blonde said with a small shrug of his shoulders. He had to admit he'd had his initial doubts about joining forces with the werewolves. One can never be too careful. Yet, with his magic failing him he had to find another way to track their loved ones.

"And why is that?" The silver haired man queried turning questioning eyes on his companion.

"Werewolves are known to be loyal, honorable creatures. They are also fiercely protective of their mates, pack, and young. I doubt these two would be entangled in something that separated mates," the wizard explained in hopes of pacifying his friend. "That and Toris showed me the mated mark on his hip. So I know that he isn't lying,"

The larger man hummed thoughtfully but then seemed to draw in on himself. Worry danced in his ruby eyes and the viridian eyed man knew what he was thinking about. It was getting ever nearer to the time that Matthew was due to have his baby. If Arthur were in Gilbert's position he would be in an utter frenzy to reach his mate.

"Don't worry lad. We'll have our dragons back before you know it," the smaller man said as he fisted his hand and green flames engulfed it. "And then the real fun will begin,"

Gilbert's eyes widened slightly at the manic, gleeful look that came over Arthur's features.

"You are seriously twisted, Kirkland. You know that right?" the knight stated taking an unconscious step away from the smaller man.

"I told you I was a very bad man before Alfred," the straw blonde said with a dark smirk before banishing the flame.

'Note to self. NEVER get on this guys bad side,' the silver haired man thought as they continued on in an awkward, yet amiable silence.

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><p>Lukas walked along the corridors of the castle at a casual amble. He had been summoned, yet again, to the throne room by the Dragon Master sometime ago and was in no rush to see the man. The pale blonde scoffed at the title the scum had given himself. The pretentious bastard was master of nothing. The only reason he had control over the dragons they held captive was because he held sway over the wizard. Anger swelled in the violet eyed man's chest at the mere thought that his beloved brother was being used as a shield by that coward. That problem, however, would soon be rectified and that thought brought a wicked glimmer to his eyes.<p>

As he approached his destination the doors of the throne room were pulled open by a pair of guards and he entered at a leisurely pace. While his facial features remained completely stoic his violet eyes became cold with unrestrained hatred.

There sitting on his gilded throne was the Dragon Master. He had dark ebony hair with a matching long beard that covered much of his comely features. His frame was exceptionally large both in width and height. He easily dwarfed the wizard and most of those in his realm. The egotistical prick often claimed that his family was descended from the ice giants of legend. That tall tale made Lukas want to laugh. He had met an ice giant once and there was no way this man could be their descendant.

A scowl fixed itself onto the large man's features as the smaller man approached him.

"You were summoned an hour ago, wizard. You know I hate to be kept waiting," the dark haired man growled as his eyes, so ice blue they were nearly white, fixed so heatedly on the blonde that it would have made a weaker man cower. Lukas didn't even so much as flinch.

"Why have you called for me? I was in the middle of locating another dragon for your collection," the amethyst eyed male lied his features fixed into a mask of boredom giving merit to his words. In actuality the magic caster had been in a meeting with one of his informants regarding the location of his brother.

Irritation flashed in the lord's cold eyes and he murmured almost inaudibly about 'teaching lessons to impudent wizards'. The pale blonde mentally patted himself on the back for causing this man even a little bit of distress. That should teach him that Lukas was not to be trifled with. Recovering from his irritation the Dragon Lord again fixed his full attention on the man before him.

"I have been informed that four travelers have crossed into Nordlin from the mountain pass," the large man stated simply as his manner shifted to be more casual though the hard glint in his eyes never dissipated.

"And the movement of travelers concerns me why? They are most likely merchants," Lukas said flatly and his features remained impassive though internally he fumed about having to see the man he despised over something so trivial.

"They carry no goods so they are not merchants," the pale eyed man said as he leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers. "It appears they have two werewolves and a wizard in their party. They also seem to be making their way to my castle,"

Now the smaller man's interest had been piqued, but he could not give himself away.

"You have nothing to fear. My shields and wards will prevent anyone from entering even other wizards. Have they not done so thus far?" Lukas queried as he feigned picking lint from his shirt sleeve. Though once he returned to his own chambers he would have one of his own spies look into these travelers. There were only so many wizards in these lands and he hoped this one was the one spell caster that he knew would be of great help to him.

"They have, but I'm sure that recasting them could do no harm," the massive brute said lazily as he leaned back into his throne with a smirk. A small glare was sent toward the lord before the petite male spun on his heels and made to leave the room knowing full well he had not been dismissed.

"I will see to it at this very moment," the pale blonde called over his shoulder as he made his exit with aggravation evident in his tone.

"Lukas, one more thing," the Dragon Master called after his less than obedient servant. The wizard paused at the door glancing back toward the throne and raised a questioning brow. A wicked smile spread across the large man's face.

"Have you found a way for my little pregnant charge to deliver his child without aid of his dragon side?"

A heavy weight settled into the pit of Lukas' stomach as he observed the malicious gleam in those too pale eyes.

"No," he responded and swallowed thickly around the lump of dread lodged in his throat.

"Pity," the dark haired man said with false concern in his voice. "I do hope you find something soon. I was told that he seems about to deliver any day now and I would hate to have to resort to the...alternatives,"

Seething with rage the pale blonde could do nothing, but give a curt nod before storming out of the room.

"I swear on all the magic in the world," the violet eyed male growled softly as a deep purple aura consumed his form and morphed into a pseudo armor of flame. "I will personally kill that monster,"

* * *

><p>"Bloody Hell, how do these barbarians manage to survive in this freezing climate?" Arthur griped as he tugged his cloak more snuggly around his trembling form. Ever since they had crossed into the land of Nordlin the temperature had seemed to drop further and further. Needless to say so had the moods of the little rescue party.<p>

"Quiet your incessant whining you irritating little man. It isn't that cold," Elizaveta barked out as she marched along the forest trail at the head of their group clad in deer skin pants, boots, and long sleeved tunic seeming to be completely unfazed by the declining temperature.

"Eliza, not all of us here are werewolves. We tend to have an internal temperature much higher than most creatures. What feels brisk to us maybe freezing to them," Toris interjected in an attempt to quell what was obviously turning into another argument.

"That's right, Toris. Be a good little lap dog and defend the humans. Gods forbid you show loyalty to your own kind and pack," the green eyed woman snapped irritably and failed to notice the hurt look in her companions eyes.

"That was uncalled for you vile witch. He was just trying to be kind and prevent yet another fight," Gilbert retorted glaring daggers at the woman's back as he too pulled his cloak more firmly around himself.

The brunette woman rounded savagely on the group teeth bared. She opened her mouth to fire off an angry comeback, but froze when a small fireball exploded at her feet. Three pairs of bewildered eyes turned and focused on the blonde wizard who stood glaring venomously.

"We are all cold, tired, and hungry which is causing us to have short tempers. I suggest we pause here for a short rest before we continue onward. Maybe after a meal we can all be more civil toward each other," the viridian eyed male stated as he moved into a clearing where he found a fallen tree to sit upon.

Wordlessly Gilbert and Toris followed Arthur's lead. This left Elizaveta glowering at the three men and an almost inaudible growl rumbled in her throat.

"I'll scout ahead and see if I find anything. I'll use the normal signal, Toris," the she-wolf said before disappearing behind a tree. Minutes later a pained grunt was heard followed shortly by the appearance of a tawny, green eyed wolf. Without so much as a backwards glance the canine slipped off down the trail.

"I'll fetch her things," the brunette man said with a weary sigh as he rose to make his way to the tree the woman had been behind.

"What is her problem anyway? I mean why is she so combative?" the knight queried as he moved about the clearing to gather wood for a small fire.

"I don't know, Gil, but we should do our best not to antagonize her further," Arthur said as he shifted his pack off his shoulder and fished inside for some of the food he had packed.

"It's kind of hard not to antagonize her when literally everything sets her off," the albino scoffed as he deposited his findings near the log and began digging a small pit for the fire.

"I apologize for her actions, but she does have a good reason," Toris said as he returned to the small group. His eyes were filled with a mixture of pity, grief, and empathy.

"I am guessing there is more to her story than just having her mate taken?" the straw blonde questioned as he set aside his pack to focus on the other man. Gilbert also stopped digging to listen to what the tawny haired man had to say.

"It is not really my place to tell her story, but she is far too proud to tell you herself," he paused and took a deep breath. "Elizaveta is one of the best warriors in our pack. Thusly, she has been in many battles for territory. Sadly, in one of those skirmishes she took a blow to her lower abdomen that left her barren,"

Both Arthur and Gilbert couldn't help flinching at that bit of information seeing as they both had been blessed (well nearly so for the albino) with children.

"She had convinced herself that no one would want a barren mate and resigned herself to being alone until the end of her days. Then she met Roderich and he accepted her for who she was completely. Soon after their mating a young she-wolf in our pack died in childbirth. Elizaveta instantly adopted the orphaned pup even though the poor thing was ever so sickly. He was the sweetest child,"

Here the brunette man paused again to take a steadying breath. It was clear that this story did not have a happy ending by the grief that was evident in his blue eyes.

"When Roderich was taken he had been home caring for their boy, who had fallen gravely ill with a fever. They lived in a cave near the pack territory, but just enough away to make the pack comfortable. Not many cared to have a dragon within the pack. Elizaveta returned home after a council meeting to find...to find…" Toris broke off as a sob escaped his lips.

"It is all right, lad," Arthur said as he moved to stand with the brunette and patted his arm comfortingly. "You don't have to continue,"

"N-no, no. I'm fine," the blue eyed werewolf said as he composed himself. "She came home to find her mate gone and her s-son had collapsed at the mouth of the cave. That brave, foolish little boy had tried to save his father even though he was so very ill. He took his final breath wrapped in his mother's arms,"

A sudden enraged roar rang out in the clearing as Gilbert violently punched the soft earth beneath him.

"Those bastards,"the knight growled as he pushed up to his feet. "I swear once we find the people who have caused all this tragedy I will end them all,"

Suddenly, a long deep howl resounded through the forest instantly drawing the attention of the three men.

"That's the signal. Elizaveta must have found something," Toris said as without hesitation he dashed off in the direction of the call with the wizard and knight following right on his heels.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I really do not know where the Hell that whole back story for Eliza came from, but it really explains what is up with her. Sorry for any feels it may have caused. Okay so next chapter guys is gonna be action packed. Plus, since you have asked for it and have been so patient I'll give you a little spoiler: Romania shows up next chapter! I can hear the fan squeals now. I'll see you next time, babes!<strong>


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